Protesting against the sacrilegious film, hundreds of lawyers on Wednesday forced their way into the Diplomatic Enclave and attempted to reach the US Embassy and demanded of the government to expel the US ambassador from Pakistan and sever ties with America.
Protesters marched from Sector F-8 Markaz towards the Diplomatic Enclave via the Constitution Avenue. They broke through the main gate to the Diplomatic Enclave after a brief scuffle with police, but they were stopped by police about two kilometres away from the US Embassy. The protest rally was organised by Islamabad Bar Association (IBA). Representatives of lawyers, including President of the Islamabad Bar Javed Akber, General Secretary Chudhary Ayub Arbab and other senior lawyers entered the US Embassy and handed over a resolution against the anti-Islam film to the staff of the US embassy.
In the resolution, they demanded of the US to ban the film immediately across the world. They also demanded of the US government to arrest the film maker and give him exemplary punishment. Protestors chanted slogans and torched US flags outside the Diplomatic Enclave. They burnt dummies of the US filmmaker.
A heavy contingent of police armed with batons and shields were deployed near the main gate of diplomatic enclave. Lawyers condemned the sacrilegious movie and said that the film injured the feelings of billions of Muslims. They urged the government to sever diplomatic relations with the US in protest against the blasphemous movie until it "announces death sentence for the filmmaker".
Protesting lawyers also demanded of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) to register protest at international level and announce boycott of western products. They also asked the government to expel all Americans from the country and permanently shut down the US embassy in Pakistan.